International Wine & Spirit Competition Announces Tasting Changes for 2010

USA - English

• USA - English
• USA - English
• USA - English

LONDON, February 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK's most prestigious, independent wine competition, the International Wine & Spirit Competition, is now accepting entries from all countries for 2010.

In an innovative move set to please many producers, the IWSC is moving the local round of tastings for wines from the USA from London to California. The USA tasting will take place at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at the end of March, with judges being recruited locally. This initiative aims to further raise standards, reduce shipping costs and carbon emissions for producers and ensure winners from the USA benefit from a higher profile on a local level as a result.

Noted for its vigorous and unrivalled judging process, the IWSC is proud to be the only competition of its kind that conducts a full blind tasting with extensive chemical analysis and a panel of over 300 fully qualified, experienced industry judges. The three-fold judging cycle has been created with particular consideration for wine producers' vintage releases, allowing the IWSC to produce the only truly indicative awards of the year's releases.

The IWSC ensures winners gain truly international exposure and commercial benefit for their achievements by showcasing them at top international trade events including Prowein, the London International Wine Fair (LIWF), Vinexpo and Vinitaly. The IWSC also help raise the profile of winners by generating editorial coverage in international publications and through retail promotions.

Frances Horder, IWSC Competition Director said;

"We at the IWSC are constantly striving to offer producers further added value each year, as the new judging procedure for the USA demonstrates. It's not easy to win an IWSC award and we understand that for producers, winning is only the beginning. Once achieved, we work with the producers to help build brands and drive sales by communicating these triumphs to the trade and press around the world and we provide all our winners with complimentary marketing materials and exposure on our website to help them achieve the recognition they deserve."

The IWSC 2010 is now open for Northern and Southern hemisphere entries. To enter, please visit the website at www.iwsc.net. You can also request an entry pack by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone on +44(0)1483-548-963.

Editors' notes:

The International Wine and Spirit Competition was founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world's best wines, spirits and liqueurs. All entries of wines, spirits and liqueurs are blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage as necessary. Awards are made on a points system and sponsored trophies are presented in selected categories.

Technical analysis is carried out on Gold, Gold (Best in Class), Silver (Best in Class) award winning wines, spirits and liqueurs to ensure that all products are technically sound and will be of the same high quality when they reach the consumer as they were when the judging panels originally tasted them.

The IWSC is supported by a group of Vice Presidents made up of some of the most influential men and women in the trade, including Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Miguel Torres, Marchese Piero Antinori, Robert Drouhin, Paul Symington, May de Lencquesaing, Gina Gallo, Rafael Guilisasti and this year's IWSC President, Prince Michael zu Salm-Salm, of the distinguished and most venerated Salm-Dalberg family.

    Deadlines for entries:

    Northern hemisphere:
    26th February 2010 (all entry forms including USA to be submitted to UK)

    Southern hemisphere:
    1st July 2010 (South Africa)
    6th August 2010 (South American countries)
    13th August 2010 (Australia)
    27th August 2010 (New Zealand)



    For further information, please contact:

    David Kelly, Marketing Manager
    IWSC
    17 Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8TB
    Tel: +44(0)1483-542-707
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Lucy Richardson
    Phipps PR
    17 Exeter Street, London, WC2E 7DU
    Tel: +44(0)20-7759-7400
    e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition)